Large mammals make soil more fertile in tropical forests

The White-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari) is a boar-like hoofed mammal found throughout Central and South America. These animals roam the forest in bands of 50 to 100 individuals, eating a wide variety of foods. In Brazil's ...

Peatland carbon and nitrogen stocks vulnerable to permafrost thaw

Northern peatlands hold large stocks of carbon and nitrogen and thus play a key role in global climate dynamics. However, their vulnerability to climate warming is uncertain, due in part to a lack of spatially explicit, observation-based ...

Soil is the key to Earth's history (and future)

The English language is full of phrases—from "bogged down" to "feet of clay" and "dirt cheap"—that reflect how we appreciate the diversity of soil, but value it little.

Tracing the process of nitrous oxide formation in the ocean

Nitrogen is of fundamental importance for life on Earth. Depending on the forms and compounds in which it occurs, it can promote life, but also limit it. In addition, some nitrogen compounds, such as nitrous oxide, are extremely ...

Microbes can grow on nitric oxide

Nitric oxide is a fascinating and versatile molecule, important for all living things as well as our environment. It is highly reactive and toxic; it is used as a signaling molecule; it depletes the ozone layer in our planet's ...

page 4 from 14